gem profiles - dcec.diamondcouncil.org
TRANSCRIPT
The Diamond CourseCompendium
Table of ConTenTs
The 4C’s in Brief .................................................................1
Carat Weight .......................................................................3
Clarity .................................................................................4
Color ...................................................................................6
Cut Shape and Style ............................................................9
Cut Quality .......................................................................12
Treatments, Synthetics and Simulants ...............................16
Properties and Formation ................................................20
Deposits, Sources and Mining ..........................................24
The Diamond Industry ......................................................27
Diamond Cutting ...............................................................30
Diamond Magic and Romance .........................................32
Durability and Care ..........................................................35
Photo courtesy Diamond Promotion Service.
The 4Cs in Brief
The Diamond Course Compendium 1
THE 4Cs IN BRIEF
• Everydiamondisunique,butalldiamondshavecertaincharacteristicsthataffecttheirvalue.Thesecharacteristicsareknownasthe4Cs.Theyarecaratweight,clarity,color,andcut.
Carat Weight • Diamondsareweighedincarats.Onecaratequals1/5gram,andisdividedinto100points.• Diamondsareweighedtoanaccuracyof1/2point(or5/1,000carat).
Clarity• Clarityisadiamond’sdegreeoffreedomfromblemishesandinclusions.Blemishesaresurface
irregularitiessuchasscratches.Inclusionsareinternalfeaturessuchastinycrystalsofotherminerals.Bothtypesoffeaturesarealsoknownasclaritycharacteristics.
• Almostalldiamondshaveclaritycharacteristics.Thefewerandlessprominentthecharacteristicsare,thehighertheclaritygradeis.Inmostcases,claritycharacteristicshavelittleornoeffectonadiamond’sappearance.
2 The Diamond Course Compendium
Color• Diamondsoccurinawidevarietyofcolors,butmostrangefromnearcolorlesstolightyellow,
brown,orgray.Althoughabsolutelycolorlessdiamondsareveryrare,theyareconsideredpartofthenormalmarketrange.
• Diamondswithnaturalcolorsoutsidethenormalrangeareclassifiedasfancycolor.Theseincludedeeperyellows,browns,andgrays,andallshadesofothercolors.
• Withinthenormalmarketrange,thelesscoloradiamondhas,thehigheritscolorgradeis.
Cut• Thetermcutoftenreferstoadiamond’sshapeandfacetingstyle.Themostpopularcutshapeand
styleistheroundbrilliant.Allothershapesandstylesareclassifiedasfancyshapesorfancycuts.Popularfancyshapesincludetheemeraldcut,heart,oval,marquise,pear,andprincess.
• Cutqualityisdeterminedbyadiamond’sproportions,symmetry,andpolish.Proportionsaretherelativesizesandanglesofthediamond’spartsandfacets.Symmetryistheprecisionofthecutdesign’sexecution.Polishisthesmoothnessandlusterofthediamond’ssurfaces.
The 4Cs and Value • Caratweight,clarity,andcolorreflectadiamond’snaturalrarity.Thelargerthediamondandthe
higheritscolorandclaritygrades,thegreateritsrarityandvalueis.• Cutisthehumancontributiontodiamondvalue.Thechoiceofcutshapeandstyleisamatterof
personalpreference.Cutqualityreflectsthecareandskillthatwereinvolvedintransformingtheroughcrystalintoasparklinggem.Cutqualityisalmostalwaysthetopfactorinadiamond’sbeauty.
• Adiamond’svalueisdeterminedbyallofthe4Cs.Beautyisessentialandraritycanhavegreatmeaning.Therefore,eachCshouldbeconsideredinadiamondpurchase.
The 4Cs in Brief
CaraT WeighT
The Diamond Course Compendium 3
CARAT WEIGHT Weight Units and accuracy• Thestandardunitofweightfordiamondsisthemetriccarat,whichequals1/5gram.Incommon
USmeasurements,onecaratequalsapproximately7/1,000ounce.Forgreateraccuracy,thecaratissubdividedinto100equalpartscalledpoints.
• Diamondsareusuallyweighedwithelectronicscales,whichhaveanaccuracyof1/10point(or1/1,000carat).
• IntheUS,diamondweightisusuallymeasuredto1/10pointandroundedtothenearestwholepoint.Forexample,aweightof0.995to1.004caratsisroundedto1.00carat.Thatmakestheaccuracy1/2point(or5/1,000carat)–about35millionthsofanounce.
Weight and Value• Caratweight’seffectonvalueisbasedonnaturalrarity.A1-caratdiamond,forexample,ismuch
rarerthantwo1/2-caratdiamondsofcomparablequality.Asaresult,thelargerdiamondismoreexpensivethanboththesmallerdiamondsaddedtogether.
• Differencesinrarityarereflectedintheper-caratpricesofdiamonds.Per-caratpriceisthecostforeachcaratofadiamond’sweight.
CLariTY
The Diamond Course Compendium 4
CLARITYClarity Characteristics• Clarityisadiamond’sdegreeoffreedomfromblemishesandinclusions.Blemishesaresurface
irregularitiessuchasscratches.Inclusionsareinternalfeaturessuchastinycrystalsofotherminerals.Bothtypesoffeaturesarealsocalledclaritycharacteristicsoridentifyingcharacteristics.
• Claritycharacteristicscomefromeventsinthelifeofadiamond.Manyarebyproductsofthediamondcrystal’sgrowthwithintheearth.Somecanbecausedduringthediamond’sjourneytothesurface.Thestressesofmining,processing,andcuttingmaycreateothers.
• Claritycharacteristicscanhavebenefits.Theyhelptoseparatenaturaldiamondsfromsyntheticsandsimulants.Likeaperson’sindividualfeatures,theyalsomakeadiamonduniqueandidentifiable.
Clarity grading• Toevaluateclarity,askilledgraderexaminesthediamondsystematicallyusing10-power(10x)
magnificationandspeciallighting.• Gradersassessclaritycharacteristicsbyfivecriteria–size,number,nature,position,andcolor.• Afterfindingandassessingthediamond’sclaritycharacteristics,thegraderassignsaclaritygrade
thatreflectstheirvisibility.Thegraderalsoconsiderswhetherthecharacteristicsmightaffectthediamond’snormalappearanceoritsdurability.
• TheGemologicalInstituteofAmerica(GIA)developedthemostwidelyuseddiamondclaritygradescale.Thefollowingtablesummarizesthegrades.
5 The Diamond Course Compendium
GIA Grade Abbrev Description*flawless fl no inclusions or blemishes visible at 10x.
internally flawless if no inclusions and only minor blemishes visible at 10x.
Very, Very slightly included VVs1 Minute inclusions extremely difficult to see at 10x.
VVs2 Minute inclusions very difficult to see at 10x.
Very slightly included Vs1 Minor inclusions fairly difficult to see at 10x.
Vs2 Minor inclusions fairly easy to see at 10x.
slightly included si1 noticeable inclusions easy to see at 10x.
si2 noticeable inclusions very easy to see at 10x.**
included i1 significant inclusions usually visible without magnification.
i2 significant inclusions easily visible without magnification.
i3 significant inclusions obvious without magnification; may also threaten durability.
CLariTY
* Allgradedescriptionsarebasedonaskilledgraderworkingwithpropermagnificationandlighting.** AsmallpercentageofSIdiamondshaveinclusionsthatcanbeseenwithoutmagnification.Some
organizationsgradethesediamondsSI3,butGIAdoesnotusethatgrade.
Clarity, Value, and Beauty • Clarity’seffectonvalueisbasedonnaturalrarity.Mostdiamondshaveclaritycharacteristics.The
fewerandlesssignificantthecharacteristicsare,thehighertheclaritygradeandtherarerandmoreexpensivethediamondis.
• Onlyabout2%ofallgemqualitydiamondsareFlawless.VVSisthehighestgradenormallyseeninjewelrystores,andmanyfinediamondsareintheVStoSIrange.
• Inmostcases,thereisnodirectlinkbetweenclarityandbeauty.Undermagnification,aVSdiamondmayappearflawlesstosomeonewhoisnotanexpert.EvenSIcharacteristicsarerarelyvisiblewithoutmagnification,sotheyhavelittleornoeffectonthediamond’sappearance.
• Decisionsaboutclarityoftendependonpersonalpriorities.Forthosewhoarequality-conscious,rarityandthehighstandardsofclaritygradingcanbeveryimportant.Toothers,gradedistinctionsdonotmattermuch,andthemainconsiderationisthediamond’sbeautyandindividuality.
• Mostpeoplefeelthathighclarityismoreimportantfordiamondsinringsthaninothertypesofjewelry.Thisisbecauseringsoftenreceivecloserscrutinyfromfamily,friends,andacquaintances.Rings–especiallyforengagements,weddings,andanniversaries–alsocarrydeepemotionalsymbolism.
COLOr
The Diamond Course Compendium 6
COLORThe Diamond Palette• Manypeoplethinkofdiamondsasbeingcolorlessgems,butdiamondsactuallyoccurinawide
rangeofcolors.Oneoftheworld’smostfamousdiamonds–theHope–isdarkblue.• Inadditiontocolorless,thediamondpaletterunsthroughblue,green,yellow,orange,red,pink,
purple,violet,brown,andgray.Italsoincludesblackandwhite.Manydiamondcolorscanvaryfromfainttointense.Onecolorthatisnotinthediamondpaletteisdeep"emerald"green.
• Mostdiamondsrangefromnearcolorlesstolightyellow,brown,orgray.Absolutelycolorlessdiamondsareveryrare,buttheyareconsideredpartofthenormalmarketrange.
• Diamondswithnaturalcolorsoutsidethenormalmarketrangeareclassifiedasfancycolor.Theseincludedeeperyellows,browns,andgrays,plusallshadesofothercolors.
• Diamondsarecolorednaturallybytracesofelementssuchasnitrogen,bydistortionsinthecrystalstructure,orbyacombinationofbothfactors.Artificialtreatmentscanalsoadd,subtract,orchangethecolorindiamonds.
Color grading – normal range • Tojudgethecolorofadiamondinthenormalmarketrange,thegradercomparesittoother
diamondsthathavebeenlaboratorygradedespeciallyforthispurpose.Thecomparisondiamondsareknownasmasterstones.
• Colorgradingisperformedundercarefullycontrolledconditions.Gradersturndiamondsandmasterstonesupsidedowntominimizereflections.
• Themasterstones,controlledconditions,andviewingdirectionsenablegraderstomakeveryprecisecolordistinctions.
• TheGemologicalInstituteofAmerica(GIA)developedthemostwidelyusedcolorgradescale.ItrunsfromD(colorless)throughZ(lightyellow,brown,orgray).Eachgraderepresentsacloselydefinedrangeratherthanasingle,specificcolor.
Photo courtesy Argyle.
7 The Diamond Course Compendium
— TheDgradeisabsolutelycolorless.
— TheEandFgradesarevirtuallycolorless.DifferencesbetweenD,E,andFaresoslight,onlyexpertscanseethemevenwhenthediamondsareunmounted.
— DiamondsintheG,H,I,andJgradesarenearcolorless.Theynormallyappearcolorlesswhentheyaremountedinjewelry.
— IngradesK,L,andM,diamondsarefaintlytinted.Thoseunder1/2caratusuallylookcolorlesswhenmounted,butlargerdiamondsmayshowaslighttint.
— IngradesNthroughZ,thelighttintbecomesincreasinglyvisible.
— DiamondsdarkerthanZarefancycolor.
Color grading – fancy Colors • Gradingproceduresforfancycolorsaresimilartothosefordiamondsinthenormalmarketrange.
Fancycolordiamondsaregradedface-up,however,becausethatistheonlywaytogetanaccurateimpressionofthecolor.
• Fancycolorsareanalyzedintermsofthreecomponents–hue,tone,andsaturation.— Hueisthecolor’sbasiccategory–red,yellow,green,blue,andsoforth,plusmixturessuchas
reddishorangeandblue-green.— Toneisthecolor’slightnessordarkness.— Saturationisthecolor’sstrengthandpurity.
• Basedonthecombinationoftoneandsaturation,theGemologicalInstituteofAmerica(GIA)usesthefollowingtermstodesignatethegradesoffancycolordiamonds:
faint Very Light Light fancy Light fancy fancy intense fancy Dark fancy Deep fancy Vivid
Thesegradesareadjustedtoreflecttherarityofdifferentcolors.
COLOr
The Diamond Course Compendium 8
Color, Value, and Beauty • Color’simpactonvalueislinkedtonaturalrarity.Withinthenormalmarketrange,lesscolor
equateswithgreaterrarityandvalue.• Onlyasmallfractionofdiamondsinthenormalrangearecolorless.Manyofthediamondssoldin
theUSrangefromGtoL.• Comparedtodiamondsinthenormalmarketrange,mostfancycolorsarerare.Therearemajor
differencesintheraritiesofdifferentcolors,however.Yellow,brown,andgrayareleastrare.Pink,green,andblueareveryrare,andredisextremelyrare.Soarepurepurpleandorange.
• Decisionsaboutcolorcandependonbudgetandpersonalpriorities.Adiamondofanycolorgradecanbebeautiful,andmanypeoplefeeldiamondsthatshowcolorhaveawarmappeal.Ontheotherhand,whilecolordistinctionsmaybesubtle,theyareapparenttotheexperteye.Trulycolorlessdiamondsareextremelyrare,andforcenturiestheyhavehadspecialstatusandsymbolism.
added facts about Color • Thelargerthediamond,themoreobviousanycolorwillbe.• Coloriseasiertoseeinsomecutstylesthaninothers.Forexample,anH-coloremeraldcut
diamondwillusuallyshowmorecolorthanaroundbrilliantofthesamegrade.• Cutqualitycanalsoaffectcolorappearance.Lowcutqualitycanmakealightyelloworbrowntint
moreobvious.• Colortendstobescrutinizedmoreinringsthaninothertypesofjewelrysuchaspendantsor
earrings.• Yellowgoldmasksfainttracesofyelloworbrownandenhancesdarkershadesofthesecolors.
Platinumandwhitegolddramatizecolorlessdiamondsandmostfancycolors,butcanmakeyelloworbrowntintsstandoutlessflatteringly.
COLOr
The Diamond Course Compendium 9
CUT shaPe anD sTYLe
CUT SHAPE AND STYLE
• Thetermcutisoftenusedtodescribeadiamond’sshapeandfacetingstyle.• Formanypeople,cutshapeandstyleispartofthementalimageofadiamond.Adiamond’sshape
canalsocontributetothemessagesadiamondsendsaboutthepersonwhogivesorwearsit.
Defining features • Mostdiamondcutshavetwomainparts:thecrownandthepavilion.Thecrownistheupperpart,
andthepavilionisthelowerpart.Thegirdleiswherethecrownandpavilionmeet.• Adiamond’sshapeisthegirdleoutlineasitisseenface-up,whenthediamondisset.• Acut’sstyleisdeterminedbytheshapesofitsfacetsandthepatterninwhichthefacetsare
arranged.(Facetsaretheflatgeometricsurfacesthatarepolishedonthediamond.)• Therearethreebasicstylesofcut–brilliantcut,stepcut,andmixedcut.
— Brilliantcutshavemostlykite-shapeandtriangularfacetsarrangedinaradialpattern.— Stepcutshavemostlyrectangularfacetsarrangedinrows.— Mixedcutshaveacombinationofbrilliantandstepfacets.
The round Brilliant Cut• Theroundbrilliantisthetop-sellingdiamondcutaroundtheworld.Itsdesignhasevolvedover
hundredsofyears,alongwithcuttingtechnology,scientificunderstandingoflight,andmodernappreciationofdiamond’sbeauty.
10 The Diamond Course Compendium
• Theroundbrilliantproduceshighweightyieldfrommostdiamondcrystals.Itcanalsomaximizediamond’sbrilliance,dispersion,andscintillation.
• Aroundbrilliantcuthasatotalof57or58facets–33onthecrown,and24or25onthepavilion,dependingonwhetherornotthereisaculet(atinyfacetatthebottom).Thegirdleisnormallypolishedsmooth,butitmaybefacetedorleftunpolished.
Classic fancy shapes • Anycutshapeandstyleotherthantheroundbrilliantisconsideredafancyshapeorfancycut.
Classicfancyshapesincludetheemeraldcut,oval,pear,heart,marquise,andprincess.• Theemeraldcutisthemostpopularstyleofdiamondstepcut.Ithasarectangularorsquareoutline
withbeveledcorners.Therearenormally58facets–25onthecrown,25onthepavilion,and8aroundthegirdle.
• Manyotherclassicfancyshapesareadaptationsoftheroundbrilliantcut.Thedesignisessentiallythesame,butfacetshapesmaybemodifiedandthenumberorarrangementoffacetscanvarytofitthegirdleoutline.
• Theprincesscutisoneofthemostpopularfancyshapes.Itissquareorrectangular(non-beveledcorners),withstraightsidesandbrilliant-stylefaceting.Insomemarkets,theprincesscutrivalstheroundbrilliantinpopularity.
Branded Diamond Cuts • Technology,science,andcreativityhaveproducedmanycut
shapesandstylesinadditiontothestandardroundbrilliantandclassicfancyshapes.Noveltycutsincludeflowers,butterflies,fish,horseheads,crosses,stars,halfmoons,etc.Todaytherearealsoagrowingnumberofbrandedcuts.
• Brandedcutsareavailablefromthefirmsthatdevelopedthemorlicensedtherighttoproducethem.Manyaretrademarkedorprotectedbycopyright.Atruebrandhasdistinctivecharacteristics.
• Fromatechnicalstandpoint,brandeddiamondcutsfallintotwobroadcategories–creativecutsandidealcuts.Manycreativecutsarebasedontraditionaldesigns,withchangesinthestyle,arrangement,ornumberoffacets.Idealcutsaimatperfectingthedesignandexecutionoftheroundbrilliant.Overthelastcoupledecades,idealcutshavegainedinpopularity,andtheynowrepresentasizablepercentageofthemarket.
CUT shaPe anD sTYLe
Photo courtesy Criss-cut™.
CUT shaPe anD sTYLe
The Diamond Course Compendium 11
The rationale of Cut • Adiamond’scutshapeandstylearechosentoproducemaximumbeautyandvaluefromtherough
diamondcrystal.• Toobtaingoodweightyield,cuttersoftenbasethecut’sshapeontheoriginalshapeofthediamond
crystal.• Clarityissometimesafactor.Thecuttermaychooseaparticularshapeinordertoeliminatelarge
inclusionsthatexistintheroughcrystal.Thecomplexreflectionsinbrilliantsmakeclaritycharacteristicslessnoticeable,whilethesimplerreflectionsofstepcutscanemphasizethelackofcharacteristicsinhighclaritydiamonds.
• Colorcanbeaconsideration.Theintricatereflectionsinbrilliantsmakelighttintsofcolorlessvisible.Colorlessnessisofteneasiertoappreciateinstepcutsandcertainbrandedcuts.
• Decisionsaboutcutshapeandstylecanalsoinvolveaesthetics,customerappeal,andmarketdemand.Diamondslargerthan4or5caratsareoftencutintofancyshapesbecausemanypeoplefeelthatlargeroundsaretooshowy.
shape, style, and Cost • Threefactorsaffectthecostofanyshapeorstyle–weightyieldfromrough,thelaborexpenseof
cutting,andoverallmarketdemand.• Roundbrilliantsproducehighweightyieldfrommostdiamondcrystals,butcuttingthemtoprecise
standardsusuallymeanssacrificingweightforbeauty.Italsotakesextralabor.Thedemandforroundbrilliantsisalwaysstrong.
• Fancyshapesareoftencutfromspeciallyselectedcrystals,sotheynormallyresultinhighweightyield.Cuttinglargefancyshapesrequiresgreattimeandskill,whichaddtothelaborcost.
• Emeraldcutsandothersquareorrectangularshapestypicallyretainthemostweightofallcuts.• Manybrandedcutsaremorecostlybecauseoftheirlimitedavailabilityandtheextralaborthat
goesintothem.
CUT QUaLiTY
The Diamond Course Compendium 12
CUT QUALITY Cut and Beauty • Cutqualityincludesthreefactors–proportions,symmetry,andpolish.
— Proportionsaretherelativesizesandanglesofthediamond’spartsandfacets.— Symmetryistheprecisionofthecutdesign’sexecution.— Polishisthesmoothnessandlusterofthediamond’ssurfaces.
• Awell-cutdiamondgathersandconcentrateslightfrommanydirections,thenreflectsthatlightoutwardagaintodazzletheeyesofbeholders.Thisopticalperformancecanbedescribedintermsofthreecomponents–brilliance,dispersion,andscintillation.— Brillianceisthetotalofwhitelightthatisreflectedfromthediamond’ssurfaceandinterior.— Dispersionistheseparatingofwhitelightintospectralhues.— Scintillationisthesparkleofbrightreflectionsthatcanbeseenasthediamond,thelightsource,
ortheobservermoves.• Whenproportions,symmetry,andpolisharecombinedeffectivelyandcutqualityisatthehighest
level,oneresultissuperioropticalperformance.Producingthistakesskilledeffort.Italsorequiressacrificingmuchoftheroughdiamondcrystal’sweight.
Proportions • Proportionsarethefoundationofadiamond’sopticalperformance.• Forroundbrilliantcuts,keyproportionsincludetotaldepth,tablesize,crownangle,paviliondepth,
girdlethickness,andculetsize.• Anaddedproportionconsiderationforfancyshapesistheattractivenessoftheshapeitself.This
partlydependsontherelationshipbetweenlengthandwidth.Alsoimportantisshapeappeal.Thisincludesfeatureslikeattractivelybeveledcornersonemeraldcutsandpleasinglyroundedcurvesonovals,pears,hearts,andmarquises.
Photo courtesy The Hearts On Fire Company.
• Whenawellcutdiamondissetinjewelry,lightstrikesitscrownfrommanydifferentangles.Somelightreflectsfromthesurface;therestentersthediamondandreflectsinternallyfromthepavilion.Ahighpercentagethenexitsthroughthecrown,travelingindirectionswhereitislikelytobeseen.Relativelylittlelightislostorwasted.
• Outofallthepossiblecombinationsofproportions,onlyasmallnumbercreatethebestopticalperformanceinroundbrilliantcuts.Theseareknownasidealproportions.Cuttingadiamondtoidealproportionsmayrequiregivingupmorethanhalfthecrystal’soriginalweight.Thisislikelytoresultinacomparativelyhighper-caratprice.
• Cutterscanvaryproportionstoobtainhigherweightyield.Ifadiamondisnotproperlyproportioned,however,agreatdealoflightescapesthroughthepavilion,orleavesthecrowntravelingindirectionsawayfromobservers.Dependingonthevariations,thediamondmaythenlookdarkorglassy.Extremeweight-savingproportionscanreducethediamond’sdurability.
• Thoughcurrentlybeingresearched,idealproportionshavenotbeenestablishedforfancyshapes.Manyvariationsinfancyshapesaresimilartothoseinroundbrilliants,butsomeareunique.Theseincludethedark"bow-tie"thatcanbeseenatthemidsectionofsomefancyshapebrilliants,excesspavilionbulgeinemeraldcuts,extremelength-to-widthratios,andunattractivegirdleoutlines.
symmetry• Themainconcernwithcutsymmetryishowpreciselyoppositesidesofthediamondmatch.
Anotherconsiderationistheexactnessoffacetshapeandplacement.• Fordiamondcutsymmetry,theidealisamirror-likebalancefromonesideofthediamondtothe
other,witheachfacetperfectlyshapedandpositioned.Thiscreatesanevendisplayofbrilliance,dispersion,andscintillation.
• Achievingidealsymmetryrequiresgreatattentiontodetail.Thisaddstothetimeandlaborofcutting.
• Mostdiamondshaveminorsymmetryirregularitiesthathavelittleornoeffectonappearance.Majorsymmetryproblems–suchasanobviouslyout-of-roundgirdle–hurtadiamond’sopticalperformanceandvisualappeal.Asaresult,theydiminishvalue,too.Likeextremeproportionvariations,theyrepresentweightandtimesavedattheexpenseofbeauty.
13 The Diamond Course Compendium
CUT QUaLiTY
Girdle
Crown Height
Pavilion Depth
Girdle Thickness
Girdle DiameterTable Size
KEY PROPORTIONS
CUT QUaLiTY
The Diamond Course Compendium 14
Polish• Becauseoftheirsuperiorhardness,diamondscan
takeandkeepapolishthatfarsurpassesothergems.Foradiamondtodisplayitsbestbrilliance,dispersion,andscintillation,thehighestdegreeofpolishisessential.
• Polishqualityanditseffectonvaluereflecttheskill,care,andtimetakeninthecuttingprocess.Almostalldiamondshaveminorpolishblemishes,butpoorpolishcanmakeadiamondlookdullandfuzzyregardlessofthequalityofitsproportionsandsymmetry.
• Theveryrareunionofidealproportions,idealsymmetry,andidealpolishcreatesthetrueidealcutdiamond.
hearts and arrows• "Heartsandarrows"isareflectionpatternthatcanbeseeninsomeroundbrilliantcutswiththeaid
ofaspecialopticaldevice.Thepatternactuallyhastwocomponents.Theheartscanbeseenwhenthediamondisviewedtable-down,whilethearrowscanbeseentable-up.
• Theheartsandarrowsappearonlyifthediamond’sproportionsandsymmetryarerelativelygood.Notallwellcutdiamondsshowthepattern,however.Indiamondsoflowcutquality,theheartsbecomedistorted,andthearrowsdisintegrateintoajumbledmosaic.
evaluating Cut Quality • Toanalyzeproportions,manydiamondgradersuseacombinationoftechniques.Theyvisually
estimatesomeproportions,andcalculateothersfromcarefulmeasurements.Symmetryandpolisharejudgedmuchlikeclarity.
• Instrumentscannowevaluatesomeaspectsofcut,butnoinstrumentcanyetprovidetheentirepictureofcutquality.Ahumanexpertmuststilldeterminethat.
• Severalcutgradingsystemscurrentlyexist.TwoofthemostwidelyusedweredevelopedbytheAmericanGemSociety(AGS)andtheGemologicalInstituteofAmerica(GIA).TheAGScutgradescaleconsistsofelevengrades–0to10,with0beingbest.GIAgradescutqualityasexcellent,verygood,good,fair,orpoor.
15 The Diamond Course Compendium
Cut Quality and Value • Manyexpertsregardidealcutsasthehighpointofhumanartandnaturalbeautyindiamonds.
Theirvalueisadirectresultofgreaterweightsacrificeandskilledlabor.• Formanycustomers,adiamondwithgood(thoughnotideal)cutqualityoffersabalanceofbeauty
andvalue.• Manycutqualityvariationsarecomparabletomicroscopicclaritycharacteristicsorfainttintsof
color.Proportionsnormallyvarywithinsmallpercentages.Mostsymmetryandpolishfeaturesarevisibleonlywithmagnificationorspecialinstruments.
• Poorcutqualityisoftenthehiddenfactorin"discount"diamonds.Twodiamondsthatareequalincaratweight,clarity,andcolorcandiffersubstantiallyinbeautyandvaluebecauseofdifferencesincutquality.
CUT QUaLiTY
The Diamond Course Compendium 16
TreaTMenTs, sYnTheTiCs, anD siMULanTs
TREATMENTS,SYNTHETICS,
AND SIMULANTS Basic Definitions• Treateddiamond–Adiamondthatformednaturallybutunderwentalaboratoryprocesstoimprove
itsappearance.• Syntheticdiamond-Adiamondthatwasmadeinalaboratoryormanufacturingfacility.Ithas
essentiallythesamecomposition,structure,andpropertiesasanaturaldiamond,butwasproducedbytechnologicalmeans.
• Diamondsimulant–Adiamondlook-alike.Diamondsimulantsarenotdiamonds.Theyonlyresemblediamonds.
Diamond Treatments • Atreateddiamondisadiamondthatformednaturally,butunderwentalaboratoryprocessto
improveitsappearance.• Commercialdiamondtreatmentscanaffectclarityorcolor.Therearefourmainmethods–laser
drilling;fracturefilling;irradiation;andhigh-pressure,high-temperature(HPHT).—LaserDrilling–Laserdrillinglightensdarkinclusions.Toaccomplishthis,ahigh-powerlaser
usuallyburnsatinychannelintothediamondtoreachtheinclusion;thenacidisinjectedtobleachit.Thetreatmentleavesamicroscopicdrillhole,whichbecomesanaddedinclusion,butthediamond’soverallappearanceisimproved.
Photo courtesy Russian Diamond Company.
—FractureFilling–Thistreatmentmakesinternalbreakslessvisible.Ifabreakreachesthediamond’ssurface,itcanbefilledwithaglass-likematerial.Asaresult,thebreakmayseemtoalmostdisappear.Occasionally,alaserchannelisdrilledtoanenclosedbreakandthefillerisinjected.Thisconcealsboththebreakandthedrillhole.
—Irradiation–Irradiationmostoftencreatesfancycolorinlightyelloworbrowndiamonds.Itcanalsodeepenorintensifyothercolors.Thereareseveraltechniques,andtheyareoftencombinedwithcontrolledheating.Earlyirradiationtreatmentssometimesmadediamondsdangerouslyradioactive,butcurrentmethodsleavenoresidualeffectsandcreatenohealthrisks.
—High-pressure,high-temperature(HPHT)–Thistreatmentaltersadiamond’scoloratthemolecularlevel.ThemethodoriginallydevelopedbytheGeneralElectricCompanyremovessomeorallcolorfromcertaintypesoflightbrowndiamonds.Otherversionsofthetreatmentcancolorsomediamondspink,blue,yellow,green,ororange.HPHTtreatmentorhightemperaturealoneisalsousedtocolordiamondsblack.
• Withtheinstrumentsandtestsavailableinmanyjewelrystores,aqualifiedgemologistcanidentifylaserdrillingandfracturefilling.ManyirradiateddiamondsandmostHPHTtreateddiamondscannotbepositivelyidentifiedwithstandardtests,butlaboratorygemologistsworkingwithadvancedinstrumentscanusuallymakethedetermination.Tomakedetectioneasier,manyHPHTtreateddiamondsarelaserinscribedwithamicroscopiccodeorlogo.
• Commercialdiamondtreatmentsareconsideredethicalaslongastheyaredisclosedtothebuyer.FTCguidelinesrequiredisclosureofalldiamondtreatments.
Permanence and special Care:LaserdrillingandHPHTarepermanentandrequirenospecialcare.
Irradiationispermanentunderconditionsofnormalwear,butveryhighheatmayaffectit.Thiscouldcomefromajewelers’torchduringrepairwork.Anotherpossiblesourceisahousefire.
Fracturefillingcanbedamagedbyhighheatandcertaincleaningmethods.
Treatment’s effect on Value:Theexpenseofthetreatmentprocessisaddedtotheoriginalcostofthediamond.Treateddiamondsareworthmorethantheywerebeforetreatment,butlessthanuntreateddiamondsofcomparableappearance.
17 The Diamond Course Compendium
TreaTMenTs, sYnTheTiCs, anD siMULanTs
Photos courtesy Gary Roskin.
Laser-drilled diamond.
Fracture-filled diamond.
The Diamond Course Compendium 18
TreaTMenTs, sYnTheTiCs, anD siMULanTs
synthetic Diamonds • Asyntheticdiamondisadiamondthatwasmadeinalaboratory.Ithasessentiallythesame
composition,structure,andpropertiesasanaturaldiamond,butwasproducedbytechnologicalmeans.Othertermswiththesamemeaningarelaboratory-createddiamondandlaboratory-growndiamond.
• TheSyntheticDiamondTimeline:1950s Thefirstsyntheticdiamondswereproduced.Thesewerenotgemquality,butthey
representedamajorbreakthrough.1970 Aroundthisyear,gemqualitydiamondswerefirstsynthesized.Theprocesswasextremely
expensive,however.Duringthenextdecadeandahalf,limitedquantitiesweremadeforscientificandtechnicalpurposes.
1985 Commercialproductionofgemqualitysyntheticdiamondsbegan.Atfirst,thesewerealsousedinscience,technology,andindustry.
1990sSyntheticdiamondsbegantoappearinthejewelrymarket.2000sThesupplyofsyntheticdiamondshasincreasedsteadilyandhasalsodiversified,with
expandedcolorchoices,largercaratweights,andimprovedquality.Quantitiesarestillverylimitedcomparedtotheoutputofnaturaldiamonds,butthesupplyiscertaintogrowinthefuture.
• Mostsyntheticgemdiamondsproducedtodayarefancycolors.Yellowsandbrownsaremostabundant.Othercolorsincludepink,blue,orange,andred.Nearcolorlesssyntheticgemdiamondsarestillrelativelyrare,buttheiravailabilityisincreasing.
• Industryexpertsareconvincedthatsyntheticdiamondswillfindamarketnicheoftheirown.Thishasalreadyoccurredwithsyntheticversionsofemerald,ruby,sapphire,andothergems.
• Mostsyntheticdiamondscanbeidentifiedwithstandardtests.Tradelaboratoriescanuseadvancedteststoidentifyallsyntheticdiamonds.Tomakedetectioneasier,manysyntheticdiamondsarelaserinscribedwithamicroscopiccodeorlogo.
Diamond simulants • Adiamondsimulantisadiamondlook-alike.Diamondsimulantsarenotdiamonds.Theyonly
resemblediamonds.Othertermsthatmeanthesamethingareimitationandsimulateddiamond.• Diamondsimulantshavealonghistory.Colorlesssapphireandquartzarenaturalgemstonesthat
havebeenusedasdiamondsimulantsforcenturies.Anothernaturalsimulantiscolorlesszircon.• Theoldestmanmadesimulantisglass.Ithasimitateddiamondsincethe1500s.Colorlesssynthetic
sapphireandsyntheticspinelappearedintheearly1900s,andtherewereanumberofartificialimitationsthroughoutthe20thcentury.Glass,syntheticsapphire,andsyntheticspinelaremostimportantintermsofvolume.
19 The Diamond Course Compendium
• Formanyyears,syntheticcubiczirconia(CZ)wasregardedasthebestdiamondsimulant.CZisnowavailableinmanycolors,andisoftenmarketedasalab-createdgeminitsownright.
• Themostrecentgemmaterialthatcouldbeconsideredadiamondsimulantissyntheticmoissanite.Thisenteredthemarketinthe1990s.Expertshavedescribeditasclosertodiamondinappearancethananyothergem.However,moissaniteisprimarilymarketedasauniquelab-createdgem–notasadiamondsimulant.
• Alldiamondsimulantscanbeidentifiedwithstandardinstrumentsandtests.
TreaTMenTs, sYnTheTiCs, anD siMULanTs
synthetic moissanite.
Photo courtesy Richard Drucker - The Guide’s Gem Market News.
Cubic Zirconia
Photo courtesy Golay Buchel.
PrOPerTies anD fOrMaTiOns
The Diamond Course Compendium 20
PROPERTIESAND
FORMATIONDiamond formation • Diamondsaremadeofcarbonthatcrystallizedlongago,deepinsidetheEarth,underconditionsof
immenseheatandpressure.• Theoldestdiamondsformedabout3.3billionyearsago,andtheyoungestarealmost1billion
yearsold.(Theageoftheearthisabout4.54billionyears.)• Diamondsformedattemperaturesthatrangedfromabout1,700°to2,400°Fahrenheit,and
pressuresbetween650,000and870,000poundspersquareinch.Super-strongmechanicalpressesnowrecreatesimilarconditionstoproducesyntheticdiamondsandhigh-pressure,high-temperature(HPHT)treatments.
• Mostdiamondscrystallized90to120milesbeneaththeEarth’ssurface,andsomeoriginatedatevengreaterdepths.
• Underlaboratoryconditions,ittakesadayortwotomanufacturea1-caratsyntheticdiamond.Manynaturaldiamondscouldhavegrownthatquickly,butlarge,highqualitycrystalsmayhavetakencenturiestoform.
Photo courtesy De Beers Group.
21 The Diamond Course Compendium
Diamond Crystals • Diamondiscomposedofalmostpurecarbon,andthearrangementofcarbonatomswithinthe
crystalisalmostperfectlysymmetrical.• Gemqualitydiamondsaretypically99.95%carbon,andtheycanbemorethan99.99%pure.This
makesdiamondoneofthepurestofallmaterialsfoundinNature.• Diamondisalsotheonlygemcomposedofjustoneelement.Allothergemsarechemical
combinations.• Carbonatomsbuilddiamondcrystalsbysharingelectrons.Each
carbonatombondswithfourneighborstoformatetrahedron–thesimplestandstrongestofallthree-dimensionalconfigurations.Thedistancebetweeneachpairofbondedcarbonatomsisonly600millionthsofaninch.
• Thearrangementofcarbonatomsingemqualitydiamondcrystalsisalmostperfectlysymmetricalineverydirection.Sometimesthisstructureproducescrystalsofperfectgeometry.Moreoftentheexternalshapesarenotperfect,andmanycrystalsaredistortedorbroken.Despitetheexternalshape,however,theinternalorderisalwaysthere.Itexistsattheatomiclevel.
Diamond Properties • Thecombinationofchemistryandstructureistheinnersourceofdiamond’sbeautyandother
properties.Thesepropertiesincludehardness,toughness,density,refractiveindex,dispersion,andfluorescence.
• Hardness–Resistancetoscratching.Diamondisthehardestknownmaterial.TheMohsHardnessScalerateshardnessfrom1to10,basedonwhetheronematerialscratchesanother.OntheMohsScale,diamondis10,corundum(rubyandsapphire)is9,andtopazis8.(Moreprecisetestsshowthatdiamondis140timesharderthanrubyorsapphire,and300timesharderthantopaz.)Superiorhardnessisthereasondiamondcantakeandkeepapolishthatisfarbetterthananyothergemstone’s.
• Toughness–Resistancetobreaking.Toughnessisratedasexceptional,excellent,good,fair,orpoor.Diamond’soveralltoughnessisgood.Itwouldbeexcellentifnotforthepropertyknownascleavage,whichisthepotentialtobreakincertaincrystaldirections.
Diamond’shardnessandtoughnessmakeitoneofthemostdurableandwearableofallgems.Evendiamondsrequirepropercare,however.PleaseseethesectiononDurabilityandCareforadditionalinformation.
PrOPerTies anD fOrMaTiOns
Diamond octahedron.
Diamond dodecahedron.
The Diamond Course Compendium 22
• Density–Therelationshipbetweensizeandweight.Onewayofexpressingdensityisspecificgravity(SG),whichisanumberthatindicatestheweightofamaterialcomparedtotheweightofanequalvolumeofwater.Gemqualitydiamond’sSGistypicallyverycloseto3.52.Thisisoneofthepropertiesthatcanbeusedtoseparateunsetdiamondsfromsimulants.
• Refraction–Theslowingandbendingoflightinatransparentmaterial.Thispropertyismeasuredbytherefractiveindex(RI),whichcomparesthespeedoflightinairtoitsspeedinthematerial.Diamond’sRIis2.417.Thismeansthatlightslowstoabout40%ofitsnormalspeedinsideadiamond.(Whenlightleavesthediamond,itburstsbacktoitsoriginalspeed.)HighRIandhardnesscontributetodiamond’sbrillianceandscintillation.
• Dispersion–Thisistheseparatingofwhitelightintospectralcolors.Itiscausedbydifferentcolorsoflightbeingrefracteddifferently.Diamond’sdispersionis0.044.Thisishigherthanmostothernaturalgems,butitissurpassedbysimulantssuchasCZandsyntheticmoissanite.
• Fluorescence–Theglowsomediamondsemitinlightthatcontainsultraviolet(UV).Themostcommonfluorescencecolorisblue.Othersarewhite,yellow,andorange.
formation and the 4Cs • DiamondswereborninthewildestofallenvironmentsonEarth.Amidthemassiveandviolent
forcesoftheplanet’sinterior,manythingscouldhavegonewrong.Itisalmostamiraclethatdiamondsexistatall.
• Many(perhapsmost)diamondsperishedbeforetheyreachedthelightofday.Ofthosethatsurvived,onlyafractionaregemquality.
• Evenminorvariationsincomposition,structure,orthegrowthenvironmentsometimeshadmajorimpactsonthefactorsthataffectadiamond’svalue:—CaratWeight–Everydiamondcrystal’ssizewaslimitedbyhowlongtherightgrowing
conditionsexisted.Onlyonegemqualitycrystalinathousandgrewlargeenoughtoyieldahighqualityfinisheddiamondweighingonecaratormore.
—Clarity–Highclaritydiamondsformedunderveryfavorableconditions.Astheyweregrowing,diamondsoftenengulfedsmallercrystalsofotherminerals(orotherdiamonds)thatbecameinclusions.Theimmensestressesinvolvedinformationfrequentlycausedinternalbreaks.
—Color–Colorlessdiamondsmusthaveformedunderconditionsthatwereclosetoideal.Minute
PrOPerTies anD fOrMaTiOns
Diamond cube - rare in gem quality diamond.
23 The Diamond Course Compendium
amountsofnitrogentintedmostdiamondsvariousshadesofyellow.Morerarely,tracesofboronproducedbluediamonds.Distortionsinthecrystalstructureoftenresultedinbrowntints.Theyalsocreatedpinks,reds,andpurples.Otherdiamondcolorscamefromcombinationsoftraceelementsandstructuralirregularities.
—Cut–Diamond’scrystalstructuredictateshowitcanbecut.Thecrystalformorsignificantclaritycharacteristicsoftendeterminetheshapethecutterchooses.
• Fromthestandpointofformation,the4CsaresimplyoutcomesoftheastonishingprocessthroughwhichNatureshapedeachdiamond’spotentialforbeautyandvalue.
PrOPerTies anD fOrMaTiOns
Diamond macle.
The Diamond Course Compendium 24
DEPOSITS,SOURCES,
AND MININGDeposits and Mining • DiamondsweredeliveredtoEarth’ssurfacebyvolcaniceruptions.Themoltenrock(ormagma)
thatfueledtheeruptionsoriginatedatleast90to120milesdown,andpossiblydeeper.Thisisagreaterdepththananyotherkindofvolcanicactivityonourplanet.
• Therearetwomaintypesofdiamonddeposits–primaryandsecondary.Primarydepositsareplaceswherediamondswerefirstbroughttothesurface.Secondarydepositsareplaceswherediamondswerecarriedbyerosion.
• Primarydepositswerecreatedbyeruptionsofdiamond-bearingmagmas.Themostimportantareknownaspipes,andtheyarethegeologicremainsofrelativelylargeeruptions.Inmostpartsoftheworld,thefocusofdiamondexplorationandminingisonpipes,becausetheyhaverelativelylongproducinglivesandtheyaresuitedforlarge-scalemining.
• Thetimefrombeginningofexplorationtothestart-upofamajorpipemineisoftenmorethanadecade,andtheinvestmentcaneasilytophalfabilliondollarsbeforethefirstfullshipmentofdiamondsgoestomarket.
DePOsiTs, sOUrCes anD Mining
The “Big Hole” was once the thriving Kimberly Mine.
25 The Diamond Course Compendium
DePOsiTs, sOUrCes anD Mining
• Diamondpipesvarygreatlyinsize.Oneoftheworld’slargest–theOrapapipeinBotswana–coveredabout260acresandthemainminingsectionwasmorethanamiledeep.Theaveragesizepipeisaroundthirtyacres.Mostdiamondpipesarecarrot-shapedconesthatgraduallytaper.Asoperationsgodeeper,thepipenarrowsandyielddecreasesuntilthemineisnolongerprofitable.Theaveragelifespanofadiamondpipemineisaboutthirtyyears.
• Onereasondiamondsarecostlyisthetremendouslaborrequiredtoobtainrelativelysmallquantitiesoftheendproduct.Foreachpointoffinisheddiamondweight,workersandmachinesexcavatemorethan1,000poundsoforeandrock.
Production and sources • Worldproductionisnowaround130millioncarats
peryear,withavalueofabout$14billionattheminelevel.Alittlemorethanhalfthetotalweightisofficiallyclassifiedasgemquality,butthatrepresentsmorethan90%ofthevalue.Inadditiontofinediamonds,itincludes"near-andcheap-gemqualities."Therestisindustrial,usedmainlytomakeabrasivesandcuttingtoolsformining,construction,andmanufacturing.
• Historically,IndiaandBrazilaretheoldestsourcesofdiamonds.MininginIndiamayhavebegunasearlyas500BC,andformorethan2,000years,Indiawastheworld’sonlydiamondproducer.Annualoutputwasneverhighbymodernstandards,butmanyfamousdiamondscamefromIndia.DiamondswerefoundinBrazilduringtheearly1700s,andthatcountrybecamethemaindiamondsourceforthenext150years.Today,diamondexplorationandminingcontinueinbothcountries,butmostactivityisinotherpartsoftheworld.
• Diamondsarecurrentlybeingminedinmorethan20countries.MostofthesearelocatedinAfrica.Addedtogether,Africanproducerssupplymorethanhalftheworld’sroughdiamonds,measuredbyweightorvalue.TherearealsoimportantproducersoutsideAfrica.Onanindividualbasis,thetopthreediamondproducingcountriesbyvalueareBotswana,Russia,andCanada.ThetopthreebyweightareRussia,Botswana,andtheDemocraticRepublicoftheCongo.
• Overthenextdecadeorso,anumberofthediamonddepositsnowbeingminedwillbecomedepleted.Althoughminingmethodsareincreasinginefficiency,prospectsfornewdepositsandminesareuncertain.Asaresult,worlddiamondproductionmayholdsteady,orperhapsdecline.
• Byworldstandards,theUnitedStateshasneverbeenasignificantdiamondproducer,butisolateddiamondshavebeenfoundinalmosteverystate.Therearediamond-bearingformationsinArkansas,Colorado,Michigan,andWyoming.InArkansasandColorado,thedepositshavebeendevelopedtoalimitedextent.
Photo courtesy Argyle.
The Diamond Course Compendium 26
DePOsiTs, sOUrCes anD Mining
The Kimberley Process • TheKimberleyProcessisaresponsetotheconflictdiamondsissue,whichemergedinthe1990s.
Atthattime,somediamondsfromtheAfricancountriesofAngola,DemocraticRepublicoftheCongo,andSierraLeonewerebeingminedandsoldtofinancecivilwars.
• AttheheightoftheAfricancivilwars,conflictdiamondsrepresentedonlyatinyfractionoftheworld’stotaloutput.Thosewarshavenowdiminishedorended,andtheflowofconflictdiamondshasdroppedwiththem.
• Aglobalcoalitionhastakenstepstoendtheconflictdiamondsproblem,andmakesurethatitcannothappenagain.ThestartingpointforthiseffortistheKimberleyProcessCertificationScheme.Itsaimistopreventconflictdiamondsfromenteringmarketsupplychannels.Therearetwomainprovisionsforaccomplishingthisgoal:—AcountrythatparticipatesintheKimberleyProcessmayonlyimportroughdiamondsfrom,or
exportthemto,otherparticipatingcountries.
—Whenashipmentofroughdiamondsgoesfromoneparticipatingcountrytoanother,itmustbeinatamper-proofcontainer.Itmustalsohaveagovernment-issuedKimberleyProcessCertificate.
• TheKimberleyProcesswasimplementedin2003,anditisnowenforcedbymorethan80countries.Industryorganizationsandfirmsateverylevelhavealsoadoptedasystemofwarrantiesthatextendsallthewaytotheretailshowcase.
• Thevastmajorityofdiamondsflowthroughlegitimatechannels.Theyarevitaltotheeconomiesofnationsandtheincomesofpeoplearoundtheworld.Anydiamondthatsupportswarorterrorisonetoomany,butwithallofthesafeguardsthatarenowinplace,thechanceofaconflictdiamondreachingajewelrystoreintheUSisalmostzero.
The Diamond Course Compendium 27
The DiaMOnD inDUsTrY
THE DIAMONDINDUSTRY
De Beers and the DTC • HugediamonddepositswerediscoveredinSouthAfricaaround1870.Inthefollowingyears,world
diamondproductionincreasedmorethan1,000%.Thiseventuallymadediamondsmoreavailabletoconsumers,buttheshort-termeffectswereoversupplyandfallingpricesthatthreatenedtoruinthediamondindustry.
• CecilRhodes(1853-1902)wantedtobalancesupplyanddemand,andhebelievedthatcontrollingsupplywasthewaytodoit.RhodesandhisbusinesspartnersfoundedDeBeersConsolidatedMinesin1888,andby1900thecompanyowned90%ofworlddiamondproduction.AfterRhodes’death,DeBeerssufferedalongperiodofuncertainty.
• EarnestOppenheimer(1880-1957)becamechairmanofDeBeersin1929,andheadedthecompanyforthenext28years.Inthe1930s,Oppenheimercreatedastructuretocontroltheflowofroughdiamondstothemarket.Around1940,DeBeersbeganworkingwithtopadvertisingagenciestomakediamondspartofmodernromance.Basedonthetheme"ADiamondIsForever,"thiseffortdevelopedtoday’sconsumermarketfordiamonds.
• EarnestOppenheimer’ssuccessorsincludedhissonandgrandson.HarryOppenheimerwaschairmanofDeBeersfrom1957-1984,andNicholasOppenheimerheldthatpositionfrom1997to2011.
• TodayDeBeersistheworld’slargestdiamond-producingentity.ItownsmostofSouthAfrica’sdiamondmines,andhasonemineinCanadathat’sbeingdeveloped.ItalsoownsandoperatesminesinpartnershipwiththegovernmentsofBotswanaandNamibia.Togethertheseassetsproduceabout30%ofallroughdiamondsbyweightandaround35%byvalue.
• In2000,DeBeersturnedoverallitssalesandmarketingactivitiestotheDiamondTradingCompany(DTC),whichhaspositioneditselfastheSupplierofChoiceinaworldwidedistributionchannel.
Photo courtesy BHP.
28 The Diamond Course Compendium
Diamond suppliers • Formostofthe20thcenturyDeBeershadnearlytotalcontroloftheworld’ssupplyofrough
diamonds.Sincethemid-1990s,othercompanieshaveemergedinthissector.Todaytherearefiveleadingsuppliersofroughdiamonds:– DiamondTradingCompany–TheDTCmarketsdiamondsfromminesownedpartlyor
completelybyDeBeers.Italsobuysandsellsdiamondsfromotherproducers.TheDTCiscurrentlythetopdiamondproducingcompanymeasuredbyvalue.
– ALROSA(AlmazyRossi-Sakha)–Russia’sstate-rundiamondcompany.ItmarketsroughdiamondsminedintheRussianFederation.ItisalsopartownerofthelargestdiamondmineinAngola.ALROSAisthetopdiamondproducingcompanybyvolume.
– RioTinto–Agiantmetalsandmineralsminingcompany,withoperationsin40countries.RioTintoownsandoperatestheArgylemineinAustralia,andhasa60%shareofCanada’sDiavikmine.
– DominionDiamond–Thiscompanyowns80%ofCanada’sEkatimine,andisthatmine’soperator.Italsoowns40%ofDiavik.
– SODIAM(SociedadedeDiamantesdeAngola)–Managesdevelopment,mining,andmarketingofdiamondsproducedbyAngola.(Inrecentdecades,Angolahasconsistentlyrankedamongthetop10diamondproducingnations.)
Trading and Cutting Centers Throughsuppliersandothersources,roughdiamondsreachtradingandcuttingcentersaroundtheworld.ThemostimportantofthesearelocatedinBelgium,theUnitedStates,Israel,Russia,India,China,andtheUnitedArabEmirates..
—Belgium–ThecityofAntwerphasbeenacenterofdiamondtradingandcuttingsincethe1400s.Today,ithasthelargestconcentrationofcompaniesintheindustry.Theseincluderoughproducersandwholesalers,cuttingfirms,andpolisheddiamondwholesalers.Antwerp’scuttershavetheabilitytodealwithlargeandvaluablerough,andmanyfamousdiamondshavebeencuthere.Currently,about80%ofallroughdiamondsand50%ofallpolisheddiamondspassthroughthisindustrycenter.
– UnitedStates–DiamondtradingandcuttinggooninanumberofUScities,withNewYorkasthecenterofmostactivity.Cuttershavebeenworkingheresincethe1800s.Mostnowspecializeinlarge,highqualitydiamondscuttohighstandards.NewYorkisalsothemainentrypointanddistributioncenterfortheentireUS.About40%ofalltheworld’sdiamonds,measuredbyvalue,flowthroughNewYork’sDiamondDistrictenroutetoAmericanconsumers.
The DiaMOnD inDUsTrY
Photo courtesy JCK.
The Diamond Course Compendium 29
– Israel–Thiscountrybecameamajorcuttingcenterinthe1950s,andwasintheforefrontofthatsectoruntilrecently.Israel’scuttingfirmsproducemanyfinediamondsinlargerweightcategories–2caratsandover.Israelalsoleadstheworldinthedevelopmentanduseofnewcuttingtechnology.Inrecentyears,ithasbecomeamajortradingcenteraswell.
– Russia–Russia’scuttingindustrybeganinthe1960s.Allitsfactorieswereonceownedbythegovernment,andsomestillare.Russiaisnotedforqualitycuttinginpopularweightcategories.Inthepast,Russiancuttersworkedmainlywithroughthatwasminedinsidethecountry.Nowthey’reimportingfromothersourcestoo.
– India–Cuttingalsostartedhereinthe1960s.Withlowlaborcosts,Indiancuttersfirstworkedonsmall,low-qualitydiamonds.Indiaisstillaleaderinthatcategory,butit’sprocessinglarger,higherqualitydiamondsaswell.TodayIndiaistheworld’slargestcuttingcenter.Accordingtoreportsbyitsgovernmentandnationaltradeorganization,Indiacutsmorethan50%oftheworld’sdiamondsbyvalue,about80%byweight,andover90%byvolume(ornumberofindividualdiamonds).
– China–Inthe1980s,theChinesegovernmentmadeabigpushtostartadiamondcuttingindustry.AlthoughChinahassomeoftheworld’smostinexpensivelabor,itsworkersareskilledandthey’rebeingtrainedbyexpertsfromothercountries.LeadingfirmsfromBelgiumandIsraelhavetransferredtheirpolishingoperationsthere.Asaresult,Chinaisnowtheworld’ssecondlargestdiamondcuttingcenter.
– UnitedArabEmirates–Since2004,thecityofDubaihastakenaplaceamongtheworld’stopdiamondtradingcenters.TheUAEgovernmentactivelysupportsdevelopmentofthediamondtradeandDubainowhostsmorethan500regionalandinternationalcompanies.Thesearemostlyfocusedontradingroughandpolisheddiamonds,butsomeareexpandingintootherareas,includingcoloredgemstones,diamondcutting,andjewelrymanufacturing.
Trade Laboratories • Tradelaboratoriessupplythejewelryindustrywithexperttechnicalservicesintheareasofproduct
testingandgrading.• Inthe1950s,GIA’stradelaboratorybeganissuingdiamondgradingreports.Theseverifiedthe4Cs
forretailjewelersandotherprofessionals.Sincethen,thediamondindustryhascometorelyongradingreports,andthenumberoflabsissuingthemhasgrown.
• Diamondgradingisthemainserviceformostlabs,butsomealsoidentifytreatmentsandlaser-inscribediamonds.Otherstestcoloredgemsandjewelrymetals.
• Laboratorydiamondgradingproceduresaredesignedtomaximizeaccuracyandconsistency.Inmostlabs,twoormoretrainedgradersexaminethediamondindependently.Thentheresultsarecompared,discrepanciesarereconciled,andthefinalreportisissued.
The DiaMOnD inDUsTrY
The Diamond Course Compendium 30
DIAMONDCUTTING
• Cuttingisakeystepinadiamond’sjourneyfromtheminetothejeweler’sshowcase.Whentheycomefromthemine,mostdiamondslooklikefrostedpebbles.Whentheyleavethecutter’swheel,theyareradiantgems.
• AlthoughdiamondsarethehardestmaterialsonEarth,slighthardnessdifferencesexistwithineverydiamond.Thedifferencesarelinkedtothegeometryofthecrystalstructure.Asaresult,theharderdirectionsofsomediamondscanbeusedtocutthesofterdirectionsofothers.
• ModerndiamondcuttingbegantoevolveinItalyduringthe1300s.Before1700,mostofthebasicmethodshadbeendeveloped.Exceptforthespeedandprecisionmadepossiblebytechnology,manymethodshavechangedlittlesincethen.
• Acutter’sobjectiveistoproducemaximumvaluefromeveryroughdiamondcrystal.Thatmeanstransformingthenaturalfeaturesofthecrystalintothebestcombinationof4Csinthefinishedgem.Toaccomplishthis,anumberofvariablesmustbeconsideredandbalancedintheplanningstage.
• Beforeshapingandpolishing,manydiamondcrystalsmustbedivided.Therearetwowaystodothis–cleavingandsawing.—Cleavingusesforcetosplitthediamondinaweakcrystaldirection.Thisisanoldtechnique.It
isnowusedmainlytodividelargediamondsintopiecesthatcanbeshapedmoreeasily.
—Sawingusesametalbladeanddiamondgrit,orelseintenseheatfromalaser,tocutthroughthecrystal.Thisresultsingreatercontrolofthefinalshapeandweight.
DiaMOnD CUTTing
31 The Diamond Course Compendium
• Thenextcuttingstepisshapingthediamond’sgirdleoutline.Withstraight-sidedshapes,thisisdonebygrinding.Roundandfancyshapebrilliantsrequireaspecialtechniqueknownasbruting.Onewaytodothisistomounttwodiamondcrystalsinaspeciallydesignedmachine,andtospinthemsotheirouteredgesrubagainsteachother.Anotheroptiontodayislaserbruting.
• Thediamondisfacetedandpolishedonascaife,whichisanelectricallydrivencast-irondiskabout12to16inchesindiameter.Itrotatesatabout2,500to5,000RPM.Thescaifeiscoatedwithdiamondgrit,whichgrindsawaythecrystalthatisbeingcut.
• Inrecentyears,manydiamondcuttingfirmshavebegunusingautomatedpolishingmachines.Theseoftencutdiamondswithfinishedweightsfrom5pointsto1carat.Manyarecomputerized,andmostpolisheverythingexceptthetableandthefacetsthatsurroundit.Thesearestillpolishedmanually.
DiaMOnD CUTTing
The Diamond Course Compendium 32
DIAMONDMAGIC ANDROMANCE
nature’s inspirations • Diamond’snaturalcharacteristicshaveinspiredsomeoftheoldestandstrongestelementsofits
magicandromance.• Diamondisthehardestknownmaterial,anditisalsoverytough.Reflectingtheseproperties,the
EnglishworddiamondcomesfromtheGreek"adamas",meaningunconquerable.Forcenturies,mostpeoplemistakenlythoughtdiamondsareindestructible.Byaprocessofassociationtheycametobelievethatdiamondsblesstheirownerswithstrength,courage,success,andenduringlove.
• Toancientphilosophers,well-formeddiamondcrystalsseemedtoembodytheorderoftheuniverse,symbolizingthehighestmental,emotional,andspiritualbalance.Today,cutstylessuchastheroundbrilliantandprincesscutstillreflectthismeaning.
• Diamond’sclarityandcolorlessnesshavelongbeenequatedwithpeaceofmindandpurityofheart.Itsbrillianceandfirehavebeenseenastokensofenlightenmentandlife-sustainingenergy.
DiaMOnD MagiC anD rOManCe
33 The Diamond Course Compendium
Cultural Contributions • Tothesymbolsandmeaningsderivedfromdiamond’snaturalcharacteristics,culturesthroughout
historyhavecontributedmanyothers.• Diamondhasbeenabirthstoneforthousandsofyears.InancientIndia,diamondwasassignedto
thosebornunderthesignsnowknownasTaurusandLibra.ModernWesternzodiacchartslistdiamondasaluckygemforTaurusandAries.Sincethe1800s,diamondhasbeendesignatedastheAprilbirthstoneinEuropeandAmerica.Diamondisalsoconsideredthegemforwinter,Saturday,and12noon.
• Accordingtosomeoldlegends,diamondsarebornfromheavenlyrainorlightning.Otherssaytheyaresplintersofbrokenstars,possessingtheabilitytobestowwealth,friends,eternalyouth,andhappymarriage.TheRomansbelievedCupid’sarrowsweretippedwithdiamonds.Othermagicalattributesincludedbringingsweetdreams,wardingoffevilspirits,andmakingthewearerinvisible.
• Manycultureshavebelievedthatadiamond’smagicalpowersandvirtuesareenhancedwhenitisgivenasagift.
Diamond Occasions • DiamondjewelryfirstappearedinEuropeduringthe
RomanEmpire,butitwasprobablyworninIndia(theworld’soldestsourceofdiamonds)longbeforethen.
• InmodernAmericanculture,themostimportantdiamondoccasionisengagement.Today,eightoutoftenfirst-timebridesintheUSreceiveadiamondengagementring.Theaveragesizeofthediamondisabout1/2to1carat.
• Thecustomofgivingengagement(orbetrothal)ringsbeganinRomantimes.PlacingtheringonthefourthfingerofthelefthandalsomayhavebegunwiththeRomans,whobelievedthereisadirectconnectionbetweenthatfingerandtheheart.
• Diamondshavebeenassociatedwithengagementformorethan500years.In1477,ArchdukeMaximilianofAustriagaveadiamondbetrothalringtoMaryofBurgundy.Thisisthefirstdiamondengagementringofficiallyrecordedbyhistory.Forcenturiesafterward,diamondengagementringswerepartofroyalcourtship.TheybecameanAmericantraditioninthe1900s.
• Apartfromengagementsandweddings,anniversariesarethemostfrequentoccasionsforgivingandreceivingdiamondjewelry.IntheUS,the10th,60th,and75thanniversariesaretraditionallyassociatedwithdiamonds.Today,the25thanniversaryisalsoanimportantdiamondoccasion.However,anyanniversarycanbeperfectforexpressinglovewithagiftofdiamonds.
DiaMOnD MagiC anD rOManCe
The Diamond Course Compendium 34
Diamond Celebrities • Throughoutmostofhistory,diamondscouldonlybewornbyroyalty.Thisgavediamondsanaura
ofregalsplendorthatstilllingers.Inmoderntimes,popularentertainmentfiguresandcelebritieshavecontinuedtoenhancetheglamourofdiamonds.
• Inthe1953musical-comedyGentlemen Prefer Blondes,MarilynMonroeworethe24-caratMoonofBarodaDiamondandimmortalizedtheline"Diamondsareagirl’sbestfriend."
• Eachyear,theSuperBowl,WorldSeries,andNBAChampionshipringsaresetwithdiamonds.AttheannualGoldenGlobeandAcademyAwardsceremonies,Hollywoodblazeswithdiamonds.
• In2002,BenAffleckpopularizedfancycolorswhenhegaveJenniferLopezanengagementringsetwitha6-caratpinkdiamond.
remarkable Diamonds • TheCullinanDiamondwasthelargestauthenticatedgem-qualityroughdiamondthathasyetbeen
discovered.Thecrystalweighed3,106.75carats–about11/2pounds–andmeasured2x21/2x4inches.ItwasfoundinSouthAfricain1905,andwaspresentedtoBritain’sKingEdwardVIIin1907.ThebiggestgemfashionedfromtheCullinanweighs530.20carats.CalledtheGreatStarofAfrica(orCullinanI),andconsideredtheworld’slargestcutdiamondoffinequality,itispartoftheBritishCrownJewels.
• TheGoldenJubileeistheworld’slargestgem-qualitycutdiamond.Itweighs545.67carats–alittlemorethan33/4ounces–andhasadeepyellow-browncolor.Theroughweighed755.50carats.ItwasdiscoveredinSouthAfricain1986,andwascutsoonafterward.In1996,agroupofThaibusinessmenpurchasedthediamondandpresentedittoKingRamaIXofThailand,tocommemoratehisGoldenJubilee.ThediamondisnowapartofThailand’scrownjewels.
• TheHopeDiamondisoneoftheworld’smostfamousgems.Ithasadarkbluecolorandweighs45.52carats.MostauthoritiesbelievethediamondwasminedinIndiaandcametoEuropeinthe1600s.ItwasnamedforHenryPhilipHope,whopurchaseditin1830.LaterownersincludedFrenchjewelerPierreCartier,AmericansocialiteEvalynWalshMacLean,andrenowneddiamonddealerHarryWinston.In1958,WinstondonatedtheHopeDiamondtotheSmithsonianInstitution,whereithasbeenafavoriteexhibiteversince.
DiaMOnD MagiC anD rOManCe
Diamond is the hardest material in the world and is also very tough. Its name comes from the Greek word “adamas” meaning “unconquerable.”
The Diamond Course Compendium 35
DUraBiLiTY anD Care
DURABILITYAND CARE
factors in Care • Durabilityistechnicallydefinedasagem’sresistancetodamage.Thisimportantattributedepends
onthecombinationofthreeseparateproperties–hardness,toughness,andstability.—Hardnessisresistancetoscratching.Diamondisthehardestmaterialknown,butifdiamonds
rubtogethertheycanscratcheachother.Theycanalsoscratchorcutintojewelrymetalsandothergems.
—Toughnessisresistancetobreaking.Diamondsareverytough,butadiamondcanbreakifitreceivesasharpblowinjusttherightdirection.Lessseveredamage,intheformofchipping,canalsooccur.
—Stabilityisresistancetodamagefromheat,temperaturechange,intenselight,orchemicals.Undermostcircumstancesdiamondsareexceptionallystable.However,anintenseflamecanburnadiamond.Highheatandstrongchemicalscanalsodamagesometreateddiamonds.
guidelines for Care • Adiamondcanbewornandenjoyedforalifetime,andstillshowallitsbeauty,butitrequires
propercaretodoso.• Inchoosingdiamondjewelryforwearability,therearefourmainthingstoconsider–thetypeof
jewelry,thesettingstyle,andthematerialsfromwhichthejewelryismade,andthekindofwearthat’sexpected.
36 The Diamond Course Compendium
—TypeofJewelry–Rings,bracelets,andcufflinksaregenerallymoreexposedtobumpsandscrapesthanearrings,pendants,pins,andtietacks.Forsomeonewhohasanactivelifestyle,oneofthesaferchoicesmaybebest.
—SettingStyle–Thisisespeciallyimportantforrings.Bezelandgypsysettingsprovidemaximumprotection.Tiffany-typeprongsettingsdramatizediamonds,butrequiremorecarefulwear.Tensionsettingsanddinnerringsmaybebestreservedforspecialoccasions.
– ExpectedWear–Akeyquestionis:Whereandhowoftenwillthejewelrybeworn?Therearebigdifferencesbetweentheforms,styles,andmaterialsthatareappropriateforspecialoccasionsandthosethatwillstandupwellforfrequentofficeorcasualwear.
• Rulesforroutinewearandcare:—Whengettingdressed,putondiamondjewelrylast–aftercosmeticsandfragrances.
—Neverweardiamondjewelrywhiledoinghouseholdchores,gardening,homerepairwork,etc.
—Avoidlettinggold-and-diamondjewelrycomeincontactwithchlorinefromsourceslikecleansers,bleach,andswimmingpoolorhottubwater.
—Ifengagementandweddingringswillbeworntogether,considersolderingtheshankstogethertopreventthemfromrubbingagainsteachother.
—Whenjewelryisnotbeingworn,itshouldbestoredsomeplacesafe.Cloth-orplush-linedjewelryboxeswithindividualcompartmentsareideal.Apouchorcushionedboxprovidedbythejewelercanalsobeused.
—Neverstorejewelrybywrappingitinfacialtissue.Tissuethatappearstobewaddedupmaybethrownaway,takingthejewelrywithit.
• Astimegoesby,keepaneyeondiamondjewelrytobesurethesettingsarenotbecomingwornandthediamondsarenotloose.Jewelryshouldbeprofessionallyinspectedandcleanedeverysixmonths.Itshouldbetakeninimmediatelyiftherearesignsofdamage.—Materials–Itiseasiertodamagethemetalthatholdsadiamondthanthediamonditself.High
karatgoldalloys–like18K–havearichlook,butarerelativelybendableandeasilyscratched.Formostpeople,14Kisamorewearablechoice,especiallyinringsandbracelets.Withitsgreatstrength,platinumisalsoanexcellentoption.
• Themostconvenientdeviceforat-homejewelrycleaningisaconsumerversionoftheultrasoniccleanersprofessionalsuse.Commercialjewelry-cleaningsolutionsalsoworkwellfordiamonds.However,ultrasonicsandcleaningsolutionscandamagesomecoloredgems.
• Thesafestall-roundcleaningmethodfordiamondsandothergemsisgentlescrubbing.Forthis,useasofttoothbrushwithamixtureofwarmwaterandmilddetergent.Afterwashing,thepieceshouldberinsedinfreshwateranddriedwithaclean,soft,lint-freecloth.
• Agoodcleaningscheduleisatleastonceaweekwithtouchupsforspecialoccasionsoranytimetheyareneeded.Justbeforecleaning,thepieceshouldbeinspectedforunexpectedwearordamage.Iftherearesignsofthese,thepieceshouldbetakentoaqualifiedjewelerbeforeitiswornagain.
DUraBiLiTY anD Care